Washing-machine.



PATENTED NOV 28, 1905.

L. D. THORNBURGH. WASHING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED JUNI; s, 1904.

NN ww ww uw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed June 3, 1904. Serial No. 211,002.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE D. THORN- BURGH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Forrest, in the county of loods, Oklahoma Territory,have invented a new and use# ful Washing-Machine, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to washing-machines, and has for its object toimprove the construction and produce a device of this charactereiiicient in action, easily operated, and by means of which largergarments or articles, such as bedclothing and the like, may be asthoroughlyT washed as the small garments.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby any of thegarments requiring it may be disposed in the machine in position toreceive additional rubbing or'agitation.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide means whereby the water inthe tub or receptacle may be maintained at a uniform temperature.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novelfeaturesof construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters,is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the inventioncapable of carrying the same into practical operation, it beingunderstood that theinvention is not necessarily limited thereto, asvarious changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of theparts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of theinvention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the washingmachine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l looking downward.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking'upward. Fig. 4 is a plan view. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portionof the stay-plate detached. Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional viewof a portion of the disk, showing one of the supporting-clips mountedthereon. g

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The receptacle or tub 10 for the clothes is preferably formed of sheetmetal, such as galvanized iron or steel, circular in shape and withsides inclined outwardly and upwardly. The tub will also be preferablymounted upon a support (indicated at 36.) A cover is provided for thetub formed in two parts 11 12, the part 11 being fastened to the tub andthe part 12 hinged to the part 11, as at 42. A wringerbracket 13 is alsoattached to the rim of the tub opposite the stationary cover portion 11and formed with aiiange 14 extending into the tub a short distance andproviding a support for the bracket, the flange being soldered, riveted,or otherwise fastened to the tub. The bracket 13 is further supported byinclined braces 43 connecting it with the outer surface of the tub, andis also provided with an upwardly-extending outer side 15 and endmembers 16 17, these parts all being of galvanized iron or steel likethe body of the tub. The outer side portion 15 is provided with a woodencore 18 to strengthen it and add rigidity to the bracket, and alsoprovide the requisite thickness to receive the wringer-clamps.

The side wall of the tub is provided with spaced verticalinwardly-extending rubbingribs 19, preferably formed by pressing themetal inwardly. a rubbing-grating composed of spaced wooden slats orribs 20, connected by spaced transverse sheet-metal strips 21, ofgalvanized iron or steel, said strips being spaced apart in parallelrows, as shown. Extending interiorly of the tub is a catch member 22 forengaging one of the metal strips 21, to prevent the grating beingdisplaced accidentally.

Mounted for rotation through the movable portion 12 of the cover is ashaft 24, havingV at its outer end an operating crank cr handle 25, andconnected at its inner end to a disk 26, preferably of galvanized ironor steel. The shaft 24 is threaded longitudinally and is provided with anut 46, having an annular rib'4'( engaged by a clip 48, attached to aplate 49, fast on a cleat 50 on the cover member 12, the shaft beingalso provided with a stop-collar 23 to limit its downward movement. Bythis means the shaft 24 is free to reciprocate through the cover member12, carrying the nut 46 around with it, while at the same time by simplyrotating' the nut the rubbing member may be adjusted nearer to orfarther from the bottom ribs 20, as required. By this means any degreeof pressure may be imparted to the clothes in the tub and the severityof the rubbing action controlled. This is a very important feature ofthe invention and In the bottom of the tub is TOO IIO

adds materially to the value and eciency of the machine. The disk 26 isprovided on its upper side with a cleat 27, through which the shaft 24passes, said cleat being supported at its ends by slips 28 29, connectedto the disk 26. The cleat thus performs the twofold function of Aanadditional bearing for the shaft where it is attached to the disk andalso strengthens and stiffens the disk.

Attached to the under side of the disk 26 are radiating rubbing-ribs 30,preferably of wood. Attached to the under side of the radiating ribs 30at their meeting-points is a stay-plate 44, having ribs 52 extendingbetween the rubbing-ribs, as indicated by dotted lines, and providedwith a central aperture to receive the lower end of the shaft 24, thelatter havinga nut 45 to secure the whole together. By this means thedisk 26, radiating ribs 30, and stay-plate 14 are all firmly united andsupported.

Disposed through transverse apertures in the ribs 30 near their outerends is a wire ring 31, spaced from the disk and provided with one ormore depending loops 53, formed in the wire at intervals between saidribs for supporting garments when their condition requires an eXtraamount of rubbing, as by this means garments can bev attached to thedisk by hanging them in the loops 53, and thus partake of its rotativeor-oscillating motion and be violently rubbed upon the grating in thebottomof the tub and also against the iiuted sides of the same. Thisfeature will be found of great advantage in washing clothes havingdeep-seated stains or soiled to a greater extent than usual.

Depending from thedisk 26 at suitable intervals are wire loops 33,between and through which larger articles, such as bedquilts and thelike, may be passed to cause them to be` carried around with the disk,and thus more thoroughly agitate and rub them. Depending from the diskalso, preferably alternately with the loops 33, are rods 34, terminatingin knobs 35, which serve to carry the garments around over therubbing-surfaces and increase the rubbing action.

The disk 26 and its attachments, it will be obvious, folds back with thecover member 12 when the clothes are to be inserted or removed.

Detachably connected, as by spaced hooks 37 38, to the side of thereceptacle 10 is a gasolene-tank 39, from which a conductor-Will'preferably be Ainclosed in a casing 51, having suitablevent-apertures, to confine the heat and increase its intensity, and thuseconomize in the amount of fuel required to produce a given degree ofheat.

By this arrangement it will be obvious that a very simply-constructedand eiicient washing-machine is provided, which will operate with equalfacility upon small or large garments and in which provision is made forso disposing garments which require it that they shall receive increasedrubbing action.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In aWashing-machine, a disk mounted for rotation and provided with radiatingrubhing-ribs, and an annular rod passing through said ribs near theirfree ends and formed with a plurality of depending garment-supportingloops. y

2. In a washing-machine, a disk mounte for rotation and provided withradiating rubbing-ribs, an annular rod passing through said ribs neartheir free ends and formed with a plurality of dependinggarment-supporting loops, an operating-shaft passing transverselythrough said disk and said rubbing-ribs at their meeting-points, astay-plate engaging said rubbing-ribs and having V-shaped dividing-lugsextending between the rubbing-ribs, and a clamp-nut on the free end ofsaid shaft bearing against said stay-plate.

3. In a washing-machine, a receptacle for the clothes having spacedrubbing-ribs in the side walls of the same, a vertically-adjustable diskprovided with radiating rubbing-ribs mounted for rotation within thereceptacle, an annular rod passing through said ribs and provided with aseries of depending garmentsupporting loops, and a rubbing memberdetachably supported Within said receptacle and formed of spaced rubbingribs connected transversely by spaced sheet-metal straps.

4. In a washing-machine, a receptacle for the clothes, a disk havingradiating' rubbingribs, an annular rod passing through said ribs andprovided with a series of depending garment-supporting loops, a threadedshaft eX- tending through the cover portion of themachine, a nutengaging said shaft and held from movement toward and away from saidcover member but free to turn thereon, and means for rotating said shaftand the rubbing member attached thereto.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE D. THORNBURGH.

Witnesses:

JoHN F. RUSH, M. R. MANNING.

IOO

IIO

IIS

